Police Character Certificate (PCC)

Required for visas, immigration and overseas jobs — how to get your Police Character Certificate.

Immigration Varies by city after background verification (often a few days to a couple of weeks). Verified Guide

اہم معلومات (آسان اردو میں)

موجودہ صورت حالSTATUS
صوبے/شہر کے مطابق (کئی صوبوں میں آن لائن)
یہ سہولت/فوائد کیا ہے؟BENEFIT
  • ویزا، امیگریشن اور بیرونِ ملک نوکری کے لیے درکار — پولیس کریکٹر سرٹیفکیٹ (کوئی مجرمانہ ریکارڈ نہ ہونے کا ثبوت)۔
  • QR کوڈ والا سرٹیفکیٹ ملتا ہے۔
اہلیت کا معیارELIGIBILITY
  • کوئی بھی پاکستانی شہری جسے صاف ریکارڈ کا ثبوت چاہیے۔
  • درست شناختی کارڈ ہو (بیرونِ ملک کے لیے پاسپورٹ بھی)۔
ضروری دستاویزاتDOCUMENTS
  • درست شناختی کارڈ (اور بیرونِ ملک کے لیے پاسپورٹ)
  • پاسپورٹ سائز تازہ تصاویر
  • درخواست فارم اور انگلیوں کے نشان (حسبِ ضرورت)
  • پچھلے پتے کی تفصیل
درخواست کا طریقہHOW TO APPLY
  1. اپنے صوبے کے پولیس سسٹم سے درخواست دیں — کئی صوبوں میں آن لائن PCC ہے (پنجاب پولیس، اسلام آباد CPO) یا ضلعی پولیس دفتر میں۔
  2. شناختی کارڈ، تصاویر اور انگلیوں کے نشان جمع کریں اور فیس ادا کریں۔
  3. پولیس بیک گراؤنڈ تصدیق کرتی ہے۔
  4. اپنا PCC (QR کوڈ والا) حاصل کریں۔
  5. بیرونِ ملک استعمال کے لیے MOFA سے تصدیق کروائیں۔

Service Overview

Police Character Certificate (PCC)

A Police Character Certificate (also called a Police Clearance Certificate) is issued by the police to confirm you have no criminal record. It is commonly required for visas, immigration, foreign employment and residency.

Where It’s Used

  • Work and employment visas abroad
  • Immigration and residency applications
  • Foreign education and certain legal matters

Good to Know

  • For use abroad, a PCC usually needs MOFA attestation (and sometimes embassy attestation).
  • It should carry a QR code and is typically valid for about 180 days.
  • Background verification is part of the process.

Apply by Province

A Police Character Certificate is issued by each province’s police. Use your province’s official portal or facilitation centre:

What this means for you

A Police Character Certificate (PCC) confirms whether you have a criminal record in a given province — commonly required for visas, immigration, foreign study or overseas jobs. It is issued by provincial police, so a Punjab PCC covers Punjab only; if you have lived in more than one province you may need separate certificates. In Punjab you apply online through the Police Khidmat Markaz portal.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Applying in the wrong district — use the district on your CNIC or where you lived longest.
  • Submitting a selfie or poor photo that gets rejected.
  • Accepting a handwritten certificate — embassies increasingly require the QR-verified digital PCC.

How to verify you are on the official channel

Apply only on the official provincial police portal (in Punjab, pkm.punjab.gov.pk). Confirm the URL ends in .gov.pk and avoid “agent” sites.

Official source: Punjab Police Khidmat Markaz — pkm.punjab.gov.pk
Last verified: . Other provinces use their own police portals. Fees vary by province and processing category — confirm officially.
Related services: MOFA Document Attestation · Passport
اہم معلومات (آسان اردو میں)

PCC بتاتا ہے کہ آپ کا کوئی مجرمانہ ریکارڈ نہیں — ویزہ/بیرون ملک کے لیے۔ یہ صوبائی پولیس دیتی ہے؛ پنجاب میں pkm.punjab.gov.pk سے۔ QR والا ڈیجیٹل سرٹیفکیٹ لیں۔

Eligibility Criteria

Any Pakistani citizen who needs proof of no criminal record.
Valid CNIC holder; for overseas use, the applicant intends to use it abroad.

Required Documents

Valid CNIC (and passport for overseas use)
Recent passport-size photographs
Application form and fingerprints (as required)
Previous address details (for background check)

How to Apply — Step by Step

1

Apply through your provincial police system — many provinces offer online PCC (e.g., Punjab Police, Islamabad CPO) or apply at the district police office.

2

Submit your CNIC, photographs and fingerprints, and pay the fee.

3

The police carry out background verification.

4

Collect your PCC (with QR code).

5

For use abroad, get it attested by MOFA (and the relevant embassy if required).

Frequently Asked Questions

A police-issued certificate confirming you have no criminal record.
Your provincial police (online where available, e.g., Punjab Police) or the district police office.
For overseas use, yes — and sometimes embassy attestation too.
Generally about 180 days.
CNIC, photographs, fingerprints and the fee.
No. A PCC is issued by provincial police and covers that province only. If you have lived in multiple provinces, you may need a separate certificate from each.

Important Notes

For overseas use, a PCC must usually be attested by MOFA, and sometimes by the destination embassy.
A PCC is generally valid for about 180 days and should carry a QR code.
Requirements and online availability vary by province / city.